“Okay,” Lin Mengmeng suppressed the bitterness in her heart and sat down with a smile. Suddenly, the phone on the table belonging to Shao Tingyu rang. Curious, Lin Mengmeng leaned over to look, seeing the caller ID “Dai Xinyan.” Instinctively, she glanced towards Shao Tingyu in the kitchen, who seemed oblivious to the call, still busy with his tasks. The phone continued to ring relentlessly. After a moment of internal struggle, Lin Mengmeng decided to hang up on Dai Xinyan’s call. Today was the day they were supposed to leave the country, and it was also her first time to say goodbye. She wanted to be selfish just this once, not allowing anyone else to interrupt.
Chapter 21: Uneasy
Ten minutes later, Shao Tingyu brought the porridge to the table. They sat down to eat together at the same dining table, but the atmosphere was markedly different from before. Lin Mengmeng kept glancing nervously at Shao Tingyu’s phone, feeling guilty as if she had done something wrong, focusing only on eating her porridge.
Seeing this, Shao Tingyu poured her a cup of hot milk: “No rush, our flight is in the afternoon.” His attention wasn’t on his phone, not even glancing at it. Lin Mengmeng breathed a slight sigh of relief, smiling, “I’m afraid I won’t get to eat this again, so I want to have more.”
Shao Tingyu’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he gently patted Lin Mengmeng’s head: “Don’t say that. I’ll cook for you often from now on.” Hearing this, Lin Mengmeng’s nose tingled, but she nodded with a smile, “Good, I’ll be waiting for you to serve me.”
After developing ALS, her appetite had significantly decreased, and she almost felt nauseous the previous night. Yet, she couldn’t bear to say she couldn’t eat, especially since this was breakfast made by Shao Tingyu’s own hands, something she rarely had the chance to enjoy before. So, she ate until she was full. When Shao Tingyu was clearing the dishes, she couldn’t hold it back anymore and rushed to the bathroom to throw up. Quickly closing the bathroom door, Lin Mengmeng cleaned up the mess at the sink, wiping away the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, composed herself, and walked out.
On the way to the airport, Lin Mengmeng dozed off on Shao Tingyu’s shoulder. It was the beginning of spring, and people were busy with work, making the airport crowded. After they got out of the car, Shao Tingyu went to check in their luggage and secured a VIP waiting room. The hustle of the airport was isolated from them. Shao Tingyu sat next to Lin Mengmeng, picking up a magazine: “If you’re tired, you can rest a bit more. I’ll wake you when it’s time to board.”
Lin Mengmeng nodded tiredly, put her mask back on, and leaned on Shao Tingyu’s shoulder. Recently, she didn’t know why, but she dreamt of her brother again. In her dream, she told her brother about recent events, but couldn’t see Shao Tingyu. Her brother said, “Mengmeng, have you ever thought that his kindness towards you might just be to make up for the five years he owes you? Once he feels he has done enough, will he still like you?” Lin Mengmeng knew it deep down, yet she couldn’t help but argue back, wanting to tell her brother that she and Shao Tingyu could have a future. But then the scene shifted.
At the airport, as they were about to board, Dai Xinyan appeared out of nowhere. She watched as Dai Xinyan pulled Shao Tingyu away from the airport, and the announcement for their flight’s departure was made. They missed their boarding time, and missed Shao Tingyu…
The images in her mind shattered into pieces. Lin Mengmeng suddenly woke up. She sat up abruptly on the sofa, scanning the waiting room, and indeed, Shao Tingyu was nowhere to be seen. “Tingyu?! Shao Tingyu!” Lin Mengmeng’s mind was in chaos, ignoring the numbness in her body, she struggled to get up. Suddenly, the glass door was pushed open from the outside. Seeing Lin Mengmeng’s anxious gaze, Shao Tingyu naturally put his phone in his pocket and approached. “What’s wrong?”
Recalling the scene from her dream, Lin Mengmeng’s eyes instantly reddened, and she hugged Shao Tingyu tightly, “I thought you weren’t willing to go.” Shao Tingyu was momentarily stunned but seeing Lin Mengmeng’s frightened look, he gently comforted her, “No.” They sat back down on the sofa.
“What were you doing just now?” Lin Mengmeng asked with a hint of grievance.
Shao Tingyu calmly replied, “I went to answer a call.”
Lin Mengmeng’s hand stiffened, remembering the call she had hung up. “Was it Dai Xinyan?”
Chapter 22: Cherry Blossoms
Shao Tingyu’s gaze fell on Lin Mengmeng’s timid face, his expression unreadable. “Yes.”
“She asked if you were planning to go abroad with me today.” Lin Mengmeng was stunned for a moment. Then he continued, “I told her yes, and she wanted to come see us off.”
Lin Mengmeng withdrew her hand, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance, “So you agreed?”
“Why would I agree?” Shao Tingyu’s response was matter-of-fact, making Lin Mengmeng look at him. His face was calm, showing no particular emotion when mentioning Dai Xinyan. He asked back, “Why should she be the one to see us off for our trip abroad?”
Lin Mengmeng then came to her senses. Perhaps she had been wrong from the start. Dai Xinyan wasn’t the main reason for their relationship’s current state; it was her own lack of trust. She always thought Dai Xinyan’s return was the primary reason Shao Tingyu proposed marriage, but now it seemed not to be the case…
Fifteen minutes later, the plane took off smoothly. Throughout the journey, Shao Tingyu was very attentive to Lin Mengmeng’s needs. The next day, they arrived in Tokyo. March was the season when cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Worried that Lin Mengmeng might not be comfortable in a hotel, Shao Tingyu rented a house near Ueno Park, known for its cherry blossoms, and paid for two months’ rent upfront. During his university days, Shao Tingyu had studied Japanese, so he had no trouble communicating with the landlord. However, Lin Mengmeng, who had only been familiar with Chinese and English since childhood, had rarely met Japanese people, let alone spoken the language. She could only silently follow behind, arriving at their new home.
